I live in minnesota and Its starting to get cold (and will be extremely cold soon) and my apartments heat sucks. I have an under tank heating pad for night time right now but it doesnt keep the cage very warm. Is there anything out there that I can get that keeps it warm but with minimal light?
2007-10-10 15:31:30 · 10 answers · asked by Jill 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
arent there those red heat lamps? do those work nice?
2007-10-10 15:39:00 · update #1
An infrared or ultraviolet heat bulb made for reptiles should be sufficient unless, like you said, your apartment is particularly cold then an undertank heating pad would help as well. They also make heating elements which produce no light at all. The wattage would depend on the size of the tank you keep your ball in. I used a 75 watt bulb on my ball's 65 gallon tank at night, but she was also kept in a well heated room. Also, get some of those stick-on aquarium thermometers and put one inside the tank at each end. One end of the tank should be warmer than the other - it gives the snake the opportunity to warm himself up or cool himself down - this should be done for the day as well as nighttime. I wouldn't let the temperature go below 80 degrees on the warm end of the tank at any time of day. Basically, ball pythons like it warm - I kept the "warm end" of my tank about 95 degrees in the daytime and about 85 degrees at night.
2007-10-10 16:17:57 · answer #1 · answered by magichorselover 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could get some foam from a cloth store to put around the sides and top of the tank at night to hold in the heat that the under tank heater provides. You'll need to leave some spaces to let air in, but the foam should hold in the heat quite well. The thicker the foam, the more it will insulate the tank.
If you don't already have a thermometer in the tank you should get on.
Information below from: http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html
Keeping it warm
Proper temperature range is essential to keeping your snake healthy. The ambient air temperature throughout the enclosure must be maintained between 80-85F (27-29 C)-during the day, with a basking area kept at 90F (32.5 C). At night, the ambient air temperature on the coolest side may be allowed to drop down no lower than 73-75F ( 23-24 C) only if a basking area of at least 80F (27 C) remains available.
If all else fails, you could get a heating pad for humans and leave it on low up against one side.
2007-10-10 15:46:52 · answer #2 · answered by kcpaull 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Nice to hear from a concerned snake owner. Heat is very important for the balls. First do not get one of the rock type heaters you see in the pet chains. They heat up too much and can burn the snake. The problem is that your heat is escaping from the top of your aquarium. Heat goes up and there is nothing (a wire mesh) to stop it from leaving the cage. If your set-up is close to a window move it. Drafty cold rooms are hard. You might try putting a towel or several towels over the cage. If your dad is handy with tools the two of you could have a father/son work day and build you a nice cage for it. It might make your dad more int rested in your snake too. He could help you research what the snake needs and planing the living area.
2016-05-21 02:41:37 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can get those red (or purple) heat lamps. However some of them arn't minimal light...
You can get ceramic heating bulbs... instead of glass its ceramic. They last for quite a while aswell. Make sure you have it on a thermostat and you MUST have a wire cage around it. If you dont have one the snake could rap itself around the bulb and then the thermostat could kick in and burn the snake to death.
Also you MUST have the thermostat aswell and make sure you have it at the right temperature, ask a local pet store or a reptile shop that sepcilizez in them. If you dont the cage could get too warm and also kill you snake.
Im not trying to scare you... im just warning you.
Hope this helps : )
2007-10-10 15:57:46 · answer #4 · answered by Lol 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You Need A Lamp It Might Not Be Minimal Light But That Works.
2007-10-10 15:35:29 · answer #5 · answered by ♥ Hey There Delilah ♥ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
*never* use a hot rock, heat rock, or heat cave, they are extremly unpredicatble and i have seen WAY too many cases of serious burns from those things to ever say they are a good idea.
and under the tank heater is a good step, but the red lights are PERFECT. do not get a red heat bulb, get an infrared heat lamp. most reptiles and snakes can not see the infrared light, which makes it perfect for nighttime heating, and for human viewing without messing up the photoperiod. good luck!
2007-10-10 16:57:13 · answer #6 · answered by Twilite 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the under tank pad is what i always used. it should be sufficient enough, because the snake is right there at the bottom. i don't know what to tell you otherwise. the only concern is to make sure there is something on the bottom of the cage separating the snake from the hot glass. good luck. call a pet store if you need to
2007-10-10 15:39:31 · answer #7 · answered by :*() 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I use to use a heat lamp with mine. Cause the snake can some times get burned by the rock.
2007-10-10 15:34:23 · answer #8 · answered by hmm78 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A red or blue heat lamp works fine or a ceramic heat emitter is great. You don't want white light at night to interfere with their day/night cycle. Just put it at one end and be sure to measure temps with a digital probe thermometer for accuracy.
2007-10-10 15:39:19 · answer #9 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
red or blue night lamps work wonders. As long as you keep that undertank heater on as well. I live in MI and know what you mean about cold winters and ball pythons.
2007-10-11 02:53:21 · answer #10 · answered by ferrisulf 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋